Cited by 850Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPersonality Disorders and PsychopathologyAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Emotion dysregulation and adolescent psychopathology: A prospective study

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McLaughlin, Katie A., Hatzenbuehler, Mark L., Mennin, Douglas S., Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan·2011·Behaviour Research and Therapy

Abstract

Background Emotion regulation deficits have been consistently linked to psychopathology in cross-sectional studies. However, the direction of the relationship between emotion regulation and psychopathology is unclear. This study examined the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships between emotion regulation deficits and psychopathology in adolescents.Methods Emotion dysregulation and symptomatology (depression, anxiety, aggressive behavior, and eating pathology) were assessed in a large, diverse sample of adolescents (N=1065) at two time points separated by seven months. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships between emotion dysregulation and symptoms of psychopathology.Results The three distinct emotion processes examined here (emotional understanding, dysregulated expression of sadness and anger, and ruminative responses to distress) formed a unitary latent emotion dysregulation factor. Emotion dysregulation predicted increases in anxiety symptoms, aggressive behavior, and eating pathology after controlling for baseline symptoms but did not predict depressive symptoms. In contrast, none of the four types of psychopathology predicted increases in emotion dysregulation after controlling for baseline emotion dysregulation.Conclusions Emotion dysregulation appears to be an important transdiagnostic factor that increases risk for a wide range of psychopathology outcomes in adolescence. These results suggest targets for preventive interventions during this developmental period of risk.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.brat.2011.06.003

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  • Various psychopathologies, including depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders, can dramatically increase during adolescence.

    “Since various psychopathologies, including depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders can dramatically increase during adolescence (e.g., McLaughlin et al., 2011).”

    From Adolescents' mindfulness and psychological distress: The mediating role of emotion regulation (2019) · cites this paper as McLaughlin et al., 2011

    The introductory passage in our copy (labeled Abstract > Conclusions; page unavailable) describes adolescence as a period of high risk for developing psychopathology. The Methods name depression, anxiety, and aggressive behavior among the symptoms studied, but the paper does not establish that all three increase dramatically during adolescence. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Emotion dysregulation is a trans-diagnostic factor with negative impact on various domains of psychopathology in adolescents.

    “Emotion dysregulation is seen as a trans-diagnostic factor with negative impact on various domains of psychopathology in adolescents (1), although specifics could be identified in the subgroup of patients suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD) (2).”
  • Emotion regulation ability is crucial for adolescents' emotional experiences and their adaptation to socioemotional challenges.

    “Specifically, emotion regulation ability is crucial for adolescents’ emotional experiences and their adaptation to socioemotional challenges (Silk et al., 2003; McLaughlin et al., 2011).”
  • Prospective studies suggest that emotion dysregulation may be an important transdiagnostic factor that increases risk for a wide range of psychopathology.

    “Prospective studies suggest that emotion dysregulation may be an important transdiagnostic factor that increases risk for a wide range of psychopathology. 4”
  • These problematic intrapersonal patterns also forecast later anxiety and depressive symptoms in longitudinal data.

    “and prospectively predict anxiety and depressive symptoms over time.24,25”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Harvey AG Watkins E Mansell W Shafran R Cognitive behavioural processes across psychological disorders 2004 Oxford University Press Oxford, United Kingdom

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Authors
McLaughlin, K. A., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Mennin, D. S., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S.
Affiliations
  • Boston Children's Hospital (US)
  • Columbia University (US)
  • City University of New York (US)
Corresponding author
McLaughlin, Katie A.
Venue
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-09
Volume
49
Issue
9
Pages
544-554
ISSN
0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2080674711
Cited by
850
References
112
Citations by year
2026: 62 · 2025: 58 · 2024: 81 · 2023: 81 · 2022: 74 · 2021: 86 · 2020: 107 · 2019: 56 · 2018: 51 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 56 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 11
FWCI
21.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (K01MH092526)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
emotional dysregulation, adolescent psychopathology, anxiety symptoms, aggression, eating pathology, depressive symptoms, emotional understanding, transdiagnostic factors, bidirectional relationship
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Psychology, Adolescent, Mental Disorders, Child, Emotions, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Models, Psychological, Psychopathology, Risk Factors, Social Control, Informal, Emotional Intelligence

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